Romney endorses McCain

Rick Pearson and John McCormickChicago Tribune

Published Friday, February 15, 2008

CHICAGO -- Former rival Mitt Romney endorsed John McCain's bid for the Republican presidential nomination Thursday in a move that sought to bring unity to the disparate feelings of the GOP's core conservative base about their presumptive nominee.

In the Democratic race, Sen. Hillary Clinton launched a scathing attack on Sen. Barack Obama, contending that while his speeches may sound "pretty good," his words are just rhetoric compared to what she plans to accomplish.

The Illinois senator, meanwhile, won the backing of the United Food and Commercial Workers union and was expected to get the endorsement of the Service Employees International Union ahead of primaries Tuesday in Wisconsin and March 4 in Ohio and Texas.

Romney, a former Massachusetts governor, had been McCain's chief rival for the nomination until the outcome of the Feb. 5 Super Tuesday primaries and caucuses. McCain won several large states, including most of those awarding delegates in "winner-take-all" contests that gave the Arizona senator an insurmountable lead.

Former Gov. Mike Huckabee of Arkansas said he would stay in the GOP race along with Rep. Ron Paul of Texas.

Romney urged that the 274 convention delegates that he won now support McCain.

In Ohio, a critical state for Clinton's attempts for a comeback to counter Obama's momentum, the New York senator toured General Motors' massive Lordstown auto assembly plant. In a speech there, she delivered a backhanded compliment to Obama's oratorical skills while questioning whether he would truly challenge special interest groups.

Obama took a day off the trail to celebrate Valentine's Day with his family in Chicago. But his campaign questioned Clinton's devotion to fighting special interests since she has "taken more money from Washington lobbyists than any Republican running for president."